Starting Over
by DelusionalReality
Summary: UPDATE! CH.9 is now up! Hermione and Draco get close on the train. When they get to school, they get closer. But who's watching from the shadows? What does this mean for our favorite couple? VERY BAD SUMMARY! Please tell me what you think of my first
1. If we try

Okay, guys.  This is my first Harry Potter story, so please don't hurt me.  Ummm…  Credit for all original characters goes to the brilliant J.K Rowling.

So, here goes…

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Hermione stared out of the window.  "Boring…" she sighed.  Harry and Ron were off with the Quidditch team talking about strategies for this year, thus she was all alone in the Head Student compartment on the train.  "I wonder who the Head Boy is this year…"

"Yours truly is, Granger," came a very familiar, very _male_, voice.  Hermione's head shot up… and up…and up…

"Malfoy!?  You're Head Boy this year," she said skeptically.   She looked him up and down, then up again.  '_Wow.  When did he get such a hot bod?  HOLY HELL, HERMIONE!!  THIS IS DRACO MALFOY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT!!  YOU REMEMBER HIM?  HE'S THE GUY WHO _NEVER_ STOPS MAKING FUN OF YOUR FAMILY, MUDBLOOD-HATER EXTRODONAIR!  Why am I having an argument with myself!?  Ok, calm down…breathe…'___

"Yes, I am.  Thus the badge, genius," he said.  Then, for some reason, he looked nervous and looked at his feet.

'_What the-?_' Hermione said to herself.

"A-are you going to poke fun at me, too?"

***

Draco was getting _really_ tired of being made fun of for being chosen as Head Boy.  No matter where he turned, from Blaise to Pansy, to Crabbe and Goyle for pity's sakes.  '_Why the Hell are they making fun of me?  I have always been a decent student, and I have been a prefect since fifth year.  Why do they find it so hard to believe that I would be made Head Boy?_'  Draco sighed, getting up and leaving the compartment, '_I mean, yeah, I haven't always gotten along with everyone, but hey, last year I at least tried to get along with Her-I mean Granger and her friends.  When the Hell did I start calling her by her first name?_'

By this time he had gotten to the Head Student compartment.  "I wonder who the Head Boy is this year…"  '_That sounds like…_'

Curious, Draco opened the door.  There sat Hermione.  "Yours truly is, Granger," he said while looking down at her.  He watched, amused as she leaned back to look up at him.

"Malfoy!?  You're Head Boy this year," she sounded like she didn't believe what she was hearing.  He smirked when she looked him up and down, then back up at his face.

'_Oh, fuck.  Am I gonna get this shit from her too?_'  He thought while he automatically said, "Yes, I am.  Thus the badge, genius."  '_Shit.  Smooth, Malfoy, real smooth.  So much for starting out on the right foot.  _Is _she going to tease me about being made Head Boy?_'  He was suddenly very nervous and looked down at his feet as he felt his cheeks redden slightly and his eyes begin to water a little.  "A-are you gonna poke fun at me, too," he asked her sadly, almost mortified when one solitary tear fell down his cheek.

***

Hermione could only look at him.  She was shell-shocked.  '_Poke fun?  Why would I do that?_'  She didn't realize that she had spoken her thought until he answered her.

"Why," he said scathingly, "the Hell would my 'friends' do it either?  I don't know!  That's just the way it is," he burst out.  She knew that he had to be really upset if he was allowing himself to cry in front of her, the one person to whom he tried to show no weakness.  She immediately stood up and walked over to him.  After hesitating for a moment, the new Head Girl put her hand on her counterpart's arm, trying to comfort him.

"It'll be alright, D-Draco.  I would never make fun of you, for this or anything.  You ought to know that.  I mean, sure, I've said some things to you in the past, but not only have I always regretted it, I never really meant it and only said it after you'd hurt my feelings by calling me 'mudblood' or something."  Hermione smiled when he looked into her face and she gently wiped the tear from his cheek.  '_Whoa.  He's got some soft skin…_'  She jumped in surprise when he shut the compartment door and locked it behind him.  But when he pulled her into his arms and embraced her, the Head Girl hugged him back.  As he released her, Hermione was dazed.  Why had he done that?  Oh well.  She didn't mind, if it made him feel better.  "You okay, Draco?"

He smiled.  "Yeah, but I have a question for you."  

"What's that?"

"Since when so you call me 'Draco'?"

"Ummm…since now, I guess.  We have to start getting along now, don't we?  I mean, we got along ok last year, but-,"

"Hermione?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."  Draco pulled her to him and kissed her.

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Well?  Whatcha think?  Should I write more for this?  Review and tell me what you think, 'k? 'k.  *hugs all readers*  Thanks for reading my first attempt!


	2. We can get along

Disclaimer: why do I have to do this?  Y'all already know that I don't own it…Otherwise it wouldn't be fanfiction, and I'd be really rich.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Hermione pulled away slightly and looked at Draco.  '_What in the world…?_'

He was thinking the same thing, '_umm…what just happened?_'  As he looked into her eyes, he could see that she was as surprised by his actions as he was.  He was more surprised when she leaned in and kissed him again.  Draco lifted her into his arms and moved over to one of the seats in their compartment, cradling her in his lap.  He traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, feeling almost elated when she hesitantly opened them.  

Hermione shifted closer to him when he stroked her tongue with his.  '_Oh, my God.  Is this really happening?  I'm actually kissing Draco Malfoy and liking it.  What's going on?_'  The young woman wrapped her arms around Draco's neck, effectively pulling him to her.  When he tried to pull back, the 17-year-old moaned in complaint and felt him smirk.  The reality of what she was doing then hit Hermione like a ton of bricks.   She was kissing the enemy of the Muggle-born students at Hogwarts.  He may be Head Boy, and she may have to get along with him in public, but as far as she knew, he was still her enemy.  Hermione wrenched herself away from him, and would have landed on the floor if he hadn't caught her.

"What's the matter, Hermione?"  He sounded out of breath.  Draco looked at the flushed girl-no, the flushed young woman in his arms.  Comprehension dawned on him.  She was upset with herself because she had kissed him.  Her supposed enemy.  "Hermione?  There's something that I really need to tell you when we get to our common room, all right?  It's really important that you know and don't tell anyone."

"Then why don't you tell me now," she asked him, just as out of breath as he was.

"There may be people listening to us on the train, but in the privacy of our common room, I can be assured that nobody can do that.  I-I really want to…well…never mind for now, all right?"  Draco held her to his chest and felt her hands tentatively clutch the front of his robes tightly.  The young Slytherin laid his cheek against the top of her soft, if still slightly bushy, chestnut brown hair.  

***

Hermione watched the sorting, which she normally enjoyed, with apathy.  She wanted to get the meal over with so that the Headmaster could show Malfoy and herself to their dormitory.  The two Head Students needed to discuss many different topics, one of which was Draco's mysterious behavior.  The young woman stifled a yawn as "Manson, Caspian" was made a Ravenclaw.  Harry and Ron, already as bored as she was, were talking about this year's Quidditch prospects.  From what the 17 year old could hear, they needed two Chasers and a Beater.

'_Why is this taking so long?  Are there really that many more first years this year?  That'll be a nightmare for us all, keeping all of them straight.  That's why I should really be paying more attention to the sorting, so I'll know everyone's name…oh well…_'

Unbeknownst to Hermione, Draco was having many of the same thoughts while trying desperately to ignore the students around him, his fellow Slytherins, in their comments and remarks about his being made Head Boy.  His eyes strayed to Hermione and his thoughts followed. '_God, but she seems as distracted as I am.  That's rather unusual…  She's not even telling off Potter and Weasley for talking during the ceremony…but then, I'm not telling off anyone in Slytherin for talking either…_' The young man sighed and looked at the Bloody Baron, who gave him a stern, more so than usual, look, then briefly turned eyes to Draco's Head Boy badge meaningfully before turning to the ceremony again as "Umbridge, Tessa" made her way to the Gryffindor table to very little applause.  Nobody, it seemed had forgotten Professor Umbridge for two years ago.  The only ones to applaud the young girl were the new second years, who had not known the 'High Inquisitor'.

Draco took his cue from the Slytherin House ghost and turned to the rest of his table.  "Alright, you lot.  Shut it, else you'll receive detention down to the last of you.  I mean it.  Whoever talks during the rest of the sorting will be in hot water."  He looked around at all of them, then nodded to the Bloody Baron, who drifted to the back end of the table.  Several of the students sent the Head Boy mutinous glares, but they kept silent.  '_Well, now I'm glad that I don't share a dormitory with any of them…_'

When Hermione realized that the soft murmur from the Slytherins had abruptly stopped, she sent Draco a questioning look.  He simply raised one brow and glanced at the end of the table.  Hermione turned her head and saw the Slytherin House ghost standing guard at there.  She nodded to Draco and turned to her own table, where a not-so-quiet whispering had broken out when the Umbridge girl had joined them.  "Save it for the feast, Griffindors.  I don't want another word to come from this table, except in support of the new students, until then.  You will suffer the consequences if you do not cooperate.  Nick?"

The ghost, following the Bloody Baron's example, went to the end of the table.  The other two ghosts began going up and down their own tables to tell off talkers.  The room soon fell into a companionable silence as the last few students were sorted.

"Weasley, Arik"

"Gryffindor!"  

"Weasley, Skylar"

"Gryffindor!"

"Young, Rylie"

"Hufflepuff!"

"Zimmerman, Xander"

"Slytherin!"

"Zechariahs, Misha"

"Ravenclaw!"

Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and collected both the sorting hat and the stool, then moved away from the front table.  Professor Dumbledore stood up to give his customary 'tuck in' to begin the feast.  The cups and plates before the students were suddenly filled with food and the room was suddenly filled with noise, for the student body was now free of the Head Students' decree for silence.

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There ya go!  You like?  Woo-hoo!!  Tell me what you think!!!


	3. If we share our pasts

Disclaimer: nuf said.

Ok guys. The people are a little out of character from here on out…Just go with it, ko?

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Hermione and Draco, as per their instructions, waited for the Headmaster to approach them after the feast had ended in a companionable silence, each thinking their own thoughts. As the rest of the student body left the Great Hall, Harry and Ron moved to stand with Hermione. She smiled at them welcomingly.

"Hey, Mione," Ron said. He and Harry each gave her a one armed hug, which she returned. The two new Weasleys and Ginny wandered over as well. Ginny grinned when the Head Girl wrapped her in a bear hug. Hermione was introduced to the twins, who were Ginny and Ron's cousins. 

Harry suddenly turned away from the joyful little meeting when he felt a tap on his shoulder. There stood –

"Potter. A word, if you don't mind."

"Malfoy." The two went off a slight distance.

Hermione looked at the two young men, slightly concerned. She grabbed the back of Ron's robes to keep him from jumping at Draco. "Draco," she called. He looked over at her, saw that she was struggling to hold Ron back, and nodded, grinning. That grin was all it took for Ron to break away from his friend and launch himself at Malfoy, who simply stepped away from Harry and braced himself. Ron ran into him full force and they both landed hard on the floor in a heap. Harry calmly walked over and pulled his friend off his rival. Hermione ran over and made sure both of the boys were unhurt. Unbeknownst to the students, the Headmaster and several professors, including Snape, were looking on rather amusedly.

"Ron," Harry said, "he wasn't being, well, he wasn't behaving in the manner that we normally associate with Malfoy. Calm down. Besides, he's Head Boy. You can't go around attacking him anymore." Harry grinned at Malfoy as he said this. Draco caught the smile and returned it. Ron watched this interchange with disgusted interest.

"Harry, what's with you defending him?" The redhead turned to his friend. "I mean, it's Malfoy. He-,"

"Needs to discuss something about Quidditch for this year, Seeker to Seeker. Harmless. Honestly, Weasley, what would I do to him with most of the staff still at the Head Table?" Malfoy looked at Ron amusedly. The other boy turned as red as his hair. "However, I do admire your loyalty to Pot- Harry. I tried this last year and it worked fairly well. What say you lot if we try to continue the truce we struck midway through sixth year? I mean, Gra- Hermione and I have to learn to get along anyway. The rest of us would do well to at least try to stay away from each others' throats. Not to mention it would make _our_ lives," he said gesturing at himself and Hermione, "much easier to not have to worry about the two of you plotting to kill me." That last part was said jokingly and everyone, even Ron, knew it. "Weas- Ron. I know that we haven't gotten on well in the past. However, as I am Head Boy this year, it is my duty to get along with all of the students. Sometimes I wonder if that is why Hermione and I, two of the worst people to put in the same room alone together, were chosen as Head Girl and Boy, grades aside. If we are to-," Draco broke off when he saw Professor Dumbledore approaching. The rest followed his gaze and bid the Head Students goodnight.

***

Professor Dumbledore bid Draco and Hermione goodnight after seeing them to their common room behind a portrait of the original Hogwarts staff, including Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salizar Slytherin, and telling them the password (unity). After exploring their rooms and the huge bathroom, Hermione and Draco settled into the common room to talk.

"So, what did you want to tell me? You know, on the train." Hermione was rather curious as to what he had to say. She watched him as he prowled the common room, almost as though he were a predator stalking his prey. Was she his prey? Or was he merely pacing the room? His voice startled her out of her musings.

"Hermione? Are you on good terms with your parents? Do you know what it's like to portray yourself as someone or something you aren't?" He sighed and sat down in an armchair across from her. "You know what? This is something that P-…Harry and Ron should hear as well as you. Could you please go fetch them? I don't think they'd take kindly to my coming to them." He smiled at her slightly as she nodded. After she left the room, Draco sighed and lay back in his chair, thinking. '_Well, this is it. Time to face the music, so to speak. I hope Harry and Ron don't judge me too harshly… Oh, what does it matter? The Gryffindor Golden Trio would never accept me; I highly doubt they'll even forgive me for being such an insufferable prat…_' He sighed again, unintentionally slipping into sleep.

***

"For the last time, Ron, _no_, I do not know what he wants to talk to us about." Hermione was getting fed up with her friend's constant questioning. Harry, at least, had not been so…so _inquisitive_ about Draco. All three of them knew that the Slytherin boy had tried not to be as rude, arrogant, and insulting as he had been for the past five years. "You know, boys, he has been more…decent lately, than he was in the past. And don't argue with me, Ron, because you know he has. We were talking, you know, on the train?, and he was going on about needing to talk to me about something, but he wouldn't tell me what. He said something about it would be safe to talk in the common room and not on the train because people could listen on the train and not in the common room. He seemed to be worried about someone in particular overhearing, but I'm not entirely sure who. Then, when we got to our common room, he said that it's something that the two of you should hear as well as me. Weird, huh? Well, here we are. Umm, could you two close your ears? 'Cause you aren't allowed to know the password." Both Harry and Ron nodded and plugged their ears. "Unity," Hermione whispered. The four founders nodded to her, Slytherin sneering slightly, and parted. The Head Girl pulled her two friends through the portrait into the Head Students' common room. 

Hermione suddenly pulled the two boys to a stop and shushed them. Harry looked around at the room and saw a tall young man in an armchair by the fireplace. The Gryffindor Seeker smiled slightly. He looked at Ron, who was still looking around himself in awe, and nudged him. The other Gryffindor looked at him. Harry glanced significantly at Malfoy, causing Ron to look over as well. Ron smirked. "Uh, Hermione, what are you doing?" Harry looked at the girl questioningly.

Hermione had crept over to the slumbering Slytherin Head Boy. "Draco," she whispered and put a hand on his shoulder. She shook him gently. "Draco, wake up. Come on, Draco, I brought Harry and Ron like you asked me to. Wake up." The boy's eyes fluttered and opened.

"Hey," he said sleepily. Draco yawned and sat up, looking at the other two boys. "Harry, Ron," he said in acknowledgment. He gestured them to the couch and was slightly surprised when both Harry and Hermione sat, instead, in the chairs on either side of his. "Harry, Ron, Hermione…do any of you know what it's like to be afraid to be yourself?" He looked at each of them in turn.

"Come on, Mal-…Draco. Do you really think the Dursleys let me be myself during the holidays? I have to sneak my books up to my room in order to do my homework. Aunt Petunia is my mum's sister. She hates me. She hates us. She hates all of this," Harry said sweeping his arm around the room.

Draco nodded. "You understand, then. You know what it's like to be ridiculed and disciplined for not being like the rest of the household. You know what it's like to go day after day not knowing whether or not they'll…" At that point, Draco broke off and buried his face in his hands. 

Hermione got out of her chair and sat on the arm of the distraught young man's. She put one hand on his back and rubbed it in small, slow circles. When she felt him shudder slightly, she looked up at Harry and Ron pleadingly. Then she hesitantly put her arms around the young wizard. When he only pulled her closer, Hermione smiled softly. "It's okay, Draco. What goes on at home that is so awful? Whatever it is, it won't touch you here. Come on," she soothed. Hermione rocked him slightly, trying to console him.

Harry and Ron both moved closer. The Seeker put an arm around Draco's shoulders in a 'masculine' hug. "No worries, Draco. No one here is going to hurt you," he said.

"Yeah," added Ron, "and…and even if they tried…I have a feeling that Hermione would keep it from happening. And I have a sneaking suspicion that Harry and I would, too."

The blonde young man looked up. The other three were surprised to see tear stains on his cheeks. "I-I know. It's just…When I got the letter telling me I'd made Prefect, they used the Cruciatus Curse on me. They did the same thing when I made Head Boy, and when, first year, I told them I'd rather go to Hogwarts than Durmstrang…You know how that is, don't you, Harry? That, that _git _who calls himself my father told me, at the end of fourth year. I wanted to tell Dumbledore, but…" He looked around at them helplessly.

"It's ok, Draco," Hermione told the boy. "Well, we can talk again tomorrow after classes. Draco, at the meeting we have before breakfast with the Headmaster we can ask him if it would be alright if we give our password to Harry and Ron. Then they can come up and talk to you whenever. Alright? Ok, you two. It's bedtime and past. We'd best walk them back to the Gryffindor house common room. Elsewise, they'll get in huge trouble if they get caught. And we need to get on with our duties. Come on, boys."

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Wow…that's a lot longer than I'd planned…I hope it makes up for my not updating in so long. Tell me what you think.


	4. We can learn together

Disclaimer:…if I said they were mine, would you believe me? 

A/N: This chappie has very mild lemon, okies? Y'all asked for it, so I'm giving it to ya! But just to warn you, if it totally sucks, don't bitch at me, ok? It's the first lemon I've ever done and I'm experimenting. If a lot of ya bitch at me, I'm taking the whole thing down.

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Halfway back to the Gryffindor common room, the foursome had a run-in with none other than-

"Good evening, Professor Snape," Hermione said. The others nodded to the man respectfully. 

"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy. Good evening. Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, have you both received detention for being out of bed?" The man sneered at the remaining two Gryffindors.

"Actually, sir," Draco started, "Harry and Ron were with us in our common room. We are now escorting them to their common room so that they _don't_ get detention. While Hermione and I both realize that they should have been in bed already-,"

"Actually, I really should get on with my own duties as a Prefect," Ron said, "I'll see you later, Harry." The redhead bid his fellow students and his teacher good night, leaving to patrol the halls near the Charms corridor.

"Well, come on, then, Harry. Professor Snape. I'll catch up with you later, Draco." Hermione and Harry continued on down the corridor, leaving Draco with Professor Snape.

"So, Mr. Malfoy, why, exactly were Potter and Weasley in your common room after curfew?" Snape was interested to learn why one of his prize students was fraternizing with more Gryffindors than absolutely necessary. 

"Because, Sir, there have been a few…incidents in the past concerning them that I wanted to clear up and apologize for. If you have a problem with that and tell my father, so be it. But, I've had enough. He's used Crucio on me for the last time." With that said, Draco turned and walked after Hermione and Harry, leaving Snape to admire the boy's courage for finally stepping forward.

Draco finally caught up with the two Gryffindors whom he had been chasing. He and Hermione bid Harry good night, then went off to fulfill their first night's patrol. After catching three couples, snogging in different parts of the castle and sending them back to bed, the two Heads returned to their common room.

"So…I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning, then, Draco. Alright?" Hermione looked up at him as he gazed at her.

"What? Oh, right. Yeah, see you then," he said. However, before the girl could turn and leave, he pulled her to him and kissed her thoroughly. By the time they parted, both students were out of breath and slightly flushed. After waiting for a moment, Hermione pulled his head back down to hers as they sank onto one of the couches near the fireplace. Draco's arms encircled Hermione as he stretched out on the cushy piece of furniture, as though he were trying to make her part of him. The girl responded by snuggling closer and sighing contentedly against his mouth. Draco ran his hands up and down her back, causing her to shiver slightly, but when he slid one hand around to the front and cupped her breast, Hermione pulled her head back in shocked ecstasy.

"D-D-Draco? I-," the young woman broke off, moaning when his thumb found her nipple. When she looked into his eyes, the expression she found there could only be described as unholy.

"'Mione, do you have any idea how long I've felt this way?"

"N-no."

"I don't think you want to. You might get scared and leave me."

Hermione looked into his face for a moment, before leaning back into him and kissing him soundly. She squealed slightly when Draco suddenly stood up with her in his arms. 

"Draco, where are you taking me," she inquired from the safety of his embrace.

"If this goes much further, I won't be able to get there if I don't go now," he replied, opening his door. As they moved over to the bed, Hermione was almost frantically unbuttoning his shirt. He placed her gently on the bed, then shrugged out of his open shirt. He joined her on the bed then, and ran his hand down her front slowly, unbuttoning her shirt as he did so. After brushing away the piece of fabric, the young man placed a soft kiss just at the place where her heartbeat was strongest. "Keep me there, Mia," he said, "Keep me there always." That said, he removed her bra and took the hardened tip into his mouth.

"Oh, God…Draco…" Hermione moaned when he rubbed his tongue against the sensitive nub. She ran her hands down the Slytherin's back as he cupped her other breast in his hand, rolling the tightened bud between his thumb and forefinger. The young woman arched against him instinctively as her new lover ground his hips against hers.

"Mia…"

She moved against him rhythmically as he lifted his head and looked into her eyes. "Mia, have…have you ever done this?" He looked at the girl through passion dark eyes. He was pretty sure that she hadn't, but he wanted to be positive. Not that it mattered, but he was inexperienced, himself, and she seemed to be, as well. Caught up in his own thoughts, he nearly missed her answer. "What?"

"N-No, Draco, I haven't. Why? Do you have a problem with that?" She was suddenly rather defensive, and, if he hadn't stilled her the instant that she moved, she would have shoved him off of her.

"Sh, calm down, Mia. No, I don't have a problem with it. You just come across as inexperienced as-as I am." He looked away from her as he said it. He didn't want to see her face when she processed that bit of information, just in case she rejected him.

"Y-You've never done this either?" She sounded incredulous, like she didn't believe him. Still refusing to look her in the face, he shook his head. Hermione smiled gently and lifted his face. "Draco, it doesn't matter. I think it's kinda sweet. You know, that _our_ first time is the first time for both of us. Do you want this?" She looked him in the eye and was pleased when shock, happiness, and some soft emotion that looked startlingly like love shone from them. When he pulled her to him, almost roughly, and kissed her thoroughly, she knew the answer.

One of Draco's hands moved to cup her breast while the other moved down her midriff, her thighs, to the hem of her skirt. The girl arched into the hand at her chest and only noticed where his other was when his bare hand intimately caressed her bare thigh. She sucked in her breath and pulled his head back down to hers. The ensuing kiss was more passionate than any previous that either had ever received. When his tongue met hers, she gave as good as she got. It was almost as though they were trying to see who could consume the other first. Draco moved his hand slowly up her inner thigh to the waistband of her underwear. Hermione moved her own hands down his chest to the button on his Slytherin-green slacks. As she slowly worked his pants off of him, he worked her underwear off of her. Draco suddenly stood up beside the bed in order to get his pants and shoes off, then returned to lie beside her. The seventeen-year-old boy moved his hands to the back of his lover's skirt in order to unhook it and get it off of her. Hermione gasped when Draco cupped her heat in his hand. When he moved over her, the young woman went very still.

"Mia? You ok? We don't have to do this, you know. If you think it's too soon, that's fine, love. It's completely up to you. There's nothing that says we _have_ to do anything. Mia? Talk to me, baby, please," Draco looked down into her eyes, which had gone nearly black with passion. When she didn't answer, the boy got really scared. "Mia! God, baby, talk to me!" He rolled off of her and gathered her into his arms. Hermione instinctively knew that he would protect her from everything and anything, even himself and she snuggled closer.

"Sorry, Draco. I just…No, I don't think it's too soon, that's not it. I just…always promised my father that I'd wait to do this until I found someone who loved me," she said while looking at her knees. Draco hugged her to him.

"I _do_ love you, Mia. I have for a long time. Remember second year when you were petrified by the basilisk? You have no idea how scared I was, how much I regretted calling you what I did. Speaking of which, can you ever forgive me for calling you that?" Draco lifted her face to look into her eyes. She saw the love in his eyes and knew he was telling the truth because the depth of love and caring in his eyes couldn't be faked. Hermione relaxed against him, letting the Slytherin boy hold her. Draco simply sat there with her in his lap and rocked slowly back and forth, calming them both. They both fell gradually to sleep in each other's arms.

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There ya go. Review for me so that I don't get so caught up with school (it starts on Thursday) and forget to write, ok? Thanks, guys!


	5. If we get along

Disclaimer: I think I've done this enough for you to know where it's going…*grins*

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Draco woke slowly the next morning happier and more rested than he'd been in a long time. It took him a moment, but he remembered why he was so happy when the young woman resting in his arms shifted slightly in her sleep. The seventeen-year-old boy smiled softly before kissing her gently. She murmured something and shifted closer to him. Draco tightened his arms around her, gathering her close to him. He really didn't want to wake her- she looked like an angel with whose care he had been entrusted- but classes started in a little over two hours and they needed to a) get ready b) get some breakfast c) get their stuff for their classes and d) help turned around first years find their classrooms. Which meant they needed to get up pretty soon. 

"Mia," he whispered. Draco shook her shoulder gently. "Mia," he called a bit louder, "it's time to get up. Come on, love, we'll be late else. We've only two hours before classes and a whole slew of things to do. Mia, I know that while you like learning, you hate getting up in the morning. But, you still need to get up. Or at least I do. Mia, come on, _leannan_. Wake up."

***

Hermione was floating in comfort and warmth. She hadn't felt this safe since the last time she'd fallen asleep between Harry and Ron in front of the fireplace in Gryffindor tower's common room. Though she vaguely knew that someone was trying to wake her, the young woman didn't want to leave the comfort and warmth of wherever she was sleeping. Sleeping… The events of the previous night slowly trickled into Hermione's sleeping mind as whoever was trying to wake her got more persistent. 

"Mia, come on, _leannan_. Wake up."

Hermione opened her eyes at the unfamiliar term. She stretched like a cat against him while he rubbed his hand up and down her back softly. "Mmmm," the Gryffindor girl sighed as she relaxed against the suddenly, suspiciously, still Slytherin boy next to her. "Draco," she questioned, "is something wrong?" She tilted her face up so that she could look into his eyes. "What is it, Draco? What's wrong?" Concern colored her voice and expression. Why had he gone so still when she woke up? Isn't that what he had been trying to do? Wake her?

"Draco, come on, you're scaring me. What's wrong? Please, talk to me. Remember last night when I went all still and quiet like that? That scared you, didn't it? You're doing the same thing. If this is some kind of pay back or something-,"

Draco cut her off before she could get any further. "No, Mia, that's not it. I was just…I didn't…know if you were upset or if you regretted what happened last night. I mean, I woke up and you were curled up against my side, your head on my chest, and you looked so sweet, so innocent…I thought you looked like an angel sent to save me. And I looked at you and I…" he trailed off for a moment before continuing, "I knew that I had to wake you, but…I-I was…scared, I guess. Scared that if I did wake you, and you were mad or something, that you'd…that you'd reject me…" that last bit was whispered so softly that Hermione nearly didn't hear it. He looked into her eyes for the first time that day. "I don't know what I'd do if you left me now that I've told you how I feel, kissed you, held you through the night…God, Mia, I've loved you so much for so long…"

Hermione was in shock. He thought she was going to reject him? _Why?_ But when he let a tear slide down his cheek, Hermione kicked her musings to the curb and took charge. "Draco," she said, taking his face into her hands, "even if this thing between us weren't to work out, and I'm not saying it won't, I would never, _ever_ just drop you without talking with you about it and if there weren't a _very_ good reason. Now that I've got you for a friend, I want to keep you that way. Draco, in such a short amount of time, I care more for you than should be humanly possible. I'm not saying that I love you, Draco, because I'm not sure I know what love is. I couldn't, wouldn't, won't play with you like that. It isn't in me. Since I started getting to know the real you on the train yesterday, I really like you. If you've been watching me for as long as you say you have, you know that I don't like messing around with my friends. If we take this any farther, we _must_ come to some kind of agreement that even if we end up breaking it off someday, we will do so in a way that we can stay friends. When Ron and I dated briefly last year, we managed to stay friends without any awkwardness. If I agree to explore this…relationship with you, you, in turn, have to agree to that. OK?" She looked him square in the eye with a soft, pleading look on her face. The young woman gently wiped the tear that shown on his cheek and smiled when he trapped her hand against his face with his own. "Draco, I don't know if this will go anywhere, but…just promise me one thing."

Draco, who had been quiet, listening to the soft, reassuring sound of her voice, tucked her head gently beneath his chin before answering. "What's that, _leannan_?" He tilted his head and kissed the crown of hers.

"Don't you dare break my heart." She turned her head into the crook of his neck and clutched him close to her so that she didn't have to see his reaction to her demand.

Draco smiled softly. "Deal. Come on, love. Much as I hate to say this, Mia, we really need to get up. Breakfast is going to start soon and we aren't even dressed," Draco told her as he sat up with her in his arms. Hermione let out a shriek when he rolled over, trapping her beneath him. He grinned and bent his head to hers, kissing her passionately. When he lifted his mouth from hers, she smiled at his reckless grin and shrieked again when he rolled off of the bed and stood up with her in his arms and strode purposefully toward the bathroom.

***

Hermione was waiting patiently for Draco to come down from his room. After he'd scooped her into his arms, he'd taken them both off into the bathroom. He had cradled her in his lap while the water had heated, then, after he had gently put her on her feet, the Slytherin boy had kissed her all over before he'd soaped her. 

She shook her head to clear it of such things, but Draco's rushed emergence from his room made that nearly impossible. The young woman gasped when he tripped, seemingly over his foot, and fell halfway down the stairs.

"Draco!" She ran over to her counterpart to check him for injuries. "Are you all right? Did you- Oh, God," she helped him sit up only to end up covered in his blood. Draco whimpered in pain as she moved him. "Draco? Draco, please say something. How many fingers do you see," she asked him, holding three fingers a foot in front of his face.

***

Draco was rushing around his room trying to find his wand, not remembering that he'd left it downstairs the night before. When he _did_ remember, he grabbed his bag and tore out of his room, knowing that Hermione was waiting for him in the common room. What he hadn't remembered to do while dressing was tie his shoes. As he ran down the stairs he stepped on one of his shoelaces and tumbled down the stairs. He felt something snap and something wet and sticky running down his face. 

"Draco!"

He heard her cry out his name as he fell. When he stopped falling, he knew she was beside him instantly. 

"Are you all right? Did you- Oh, God."

No matter how gentle she was when she helped him turn face up, he couldn't stop a soft whimper of pain from escaping.

"Draco? Draco, please say something. How many fingers do you see?"

He tried to look at her hand, but opening his eyes seemed to be too much trouble at the moment. "Too many," he told the terrified young woman. He tried to smile when he said it, but he didn't think he succeeded.

"If I help you, do you think you can get up?"

Draco, even through his pain, knew she was scared, worried, and he tried his hardest to respond to her question. All the young man could manage, however, was a groan. "Yeah, I think so, Mia." When she put one arm around his middle and the other she used to lever them up off of the floor. Draco suppressed another painful moan, trying to keep her from worrying more than she already was.

"Godric," Hermione called out, "Open the portrait when I get over there and tell you to, ok? I'm not going to be able to push it open this time."

"Hermione!"

The surprised cry came from a landscape hanging over the fireplace. Hermione turned her head toward it for a moment. "Salazar! Get out there and get that damn hole open," she cried. "Or, no! Wait!"

"What do you need me to do?"

"Can the others get the door open without you?"

"Yes, of course they can. What do you need me to do, Hermione?" He didn't sound condescending; rather he sounded extremely concerned.

"Fetch both the Headmaster and Madame Pomfrey. Tell them to meet us on the way to the hospital wing, all right? Will you please do that for me? I don't know if I can get him down there by myself," she pleaded with the man.

"Certainly. I do, however, expect a full report from you about what happened in here," he told her, looking her straight in the eye. He knew that she would have told them what had happened anyway. That was just the type of girl she was. At her nod, he left the landscape at a brisk run.

Hermione struggled with Draco over to the portrait hole and called out to the founders to open it. As soon as they had cleared the way, Hermione and Draco moved carefully through it. After they closed it, all three cried out at the sight they made. Though the older people called out, asking her what had happened, the Head Girl told them she would get back to them about it once she had gotten Draco taken care of. 

***

Albus was enjoying an early morning with Minerva when a rather distressed Salazar invaded one of the numerous paintings in his sitting room.

"Dumbledor, get to the hall. There was some kind of accident in Hermione and Draco's common room this morning and Draco is hurt bad. Hermione sent me to fetch you and Pomfrey. So, get yourself up there while I go to the hospital wing and find her. Hermione said to hurry. She doesn't think she can get Draco to the hospital wing alone." With that, the man turned and left the portrait.

Albus turned to Minerva, then they both stood up and ran from the room.

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There ya go, my faithful readers/reviewers!! How do ya like it? Oh, and Kinky Girl? That prob'ly won't happen for awhile yet. Sorry! Just stay tuned and keep me on track, all right?


	6. We can share the moment

Disclaimer: It's mine, all mine!!! *evil laughter fills the room* *chokes* cough, cough Sorry, sometimes I can't control my crazy side…My characters belong to me, as does the plot. Anything else belongs to the brilliant J.K. Rowling.

A/N: Professor Snape is rather ooc in this chapter, ok guys? You have been warned.

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When neither Hermione, nor Draco turned up at breakfast, Harry and Ron got worried. Had something happened that prevented them from coming? Ron was a prefect and knew that there wasn't a meeting that morning, so where were they?

"Maybe they're out looking for first years who got lost on the way to breakfast, you know like we have before. If that's the case, they'll come in just before the bell rings. It's the kind of thing Mia would do," Ron told Harry. The other boy nodded hesitantly. 

"Yeah, but if that's not what's up," Harry replied, "where are they?" He looked around at the doors again. "I mean, if something serious had happened, someone would have said something to us, right? Everyone knows how close we are to-,"

"Potter! Weasley!"

The two boys jerked around toward the Head table. Snape stood to one side, near the door where the Triwizard champions had met three years ago. He gestured them over to him. Harry and Ron looked at each other, then gathered their things and went over to the Potions Master.

"What is it, sir," Harry questioned the older man. Ron was looking at the Head of Slytherin House mostly curiously, though slightly suspiciously.

"If we could speak elsewhere," Snape requested. The two Gryffindors nodded and followed their teacher from the room, after which the chatter broke out once again. "Boys," the man began, then faltered to a stop.

Harry daringly put a hand on the man's arm, to both Ron and Professor Snape's surprise. "What is it, Professor? What's wrong?" Harry could tell that something serious had to be wrong if Snape wasn't even barking at Ron for not tucking in his shirt.

Severous Snape wasn't used to people, other than Dumbledore, being concerned for him. Thus, when Harry, the son of his most hated rival, looked at him with eyes nearly brimming with worry, the man's loathing of the younger Potter diminished somewhat. He looked down at the Gryffindor boy through, for him, somewhat softened eyes. "There was an accident in Draco and Hermione's common room earlier this morning," he was able to choke out. 

Harry was none too surprised to realize that the man was trying very hard to stay calm. It was no secret that Draco Malfoy was Snape's favorite student and that the man grudgingly respected Hermione. "What happened? I know you're worried about something, so I know Draco's hurt. I don't want to upset you further, but…" Harry trailed off and looked up at his professor pleadingly. "Is Hermione hurt? How badly off is Draco?"

"Pot-Harry. Calm down for a moment. I'm not sure of the entire thing myself. Hermione is rather distraught at the moment, however, she is not hurt. Draco, on the other hand," the man broke off and, to both students' surprise, covered his face with his hands. Severous felt an arm wrap around his shoulders and another hand pat his back. Since Harry's hand had remained on the older man's arm, Severous could only assume that Ron was trying to comfort him, as well. Unused to such compassion, the Potions professor composed himself as best he could quickly. "They're in the hospital wing. Professor Dumbledore sent me to fetch yourselves and Mr. Zabini," he managed to tell them. "Go on up there while I search him out." He shooed the two boys away, before calling out to Ron, "Tuck in your shirt, Weasley!"

"I guess he isn't _too_ worried if he's remembering things like _that_," Ron remarked to his friend as he did as he followed the teacher's instructions, for once, promptly. 

"Not necessarily, Ron," Harry replied to the red-head, "I mean, he may be worried, but he's still a teacher and he has to remind us of rules. Come on, let's go see if Mia and Draco are ok." The two hurried off toward the hospital wing.

***

Hermione was pacing in front of Draco's bed curtain. What had happened? He was usually so graceful, so how had he fallen down the stairs? _Okay, Hermione, think. Think back to seven o'clock this morning. You were waiting in the common room for Draco to come down. When he did, he fell on his face and down the rest of the stairs. How did that happen? He's always so graceful._

"Hermione, you need to calm down."

The young woman glanced up at the portrait that was normally an empty room. At the moment it housed the Hogwarts founders. They had pressed her gently for details of the accident when they had arrived and now knew as much about what had happened as she did.

"How can I calm down, Rowena? There was so much blood…" She trailed off and her eyes teared up. The young woman buried her face in her hands and sank to the floor. She drew her knees up to her chest, resting her arms on her knees and her head on her arms. Hermione knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't stop the tears from falling.

***

Harry and Ron rounded the last corner and slammed through the hospital wing doors. After looking around for a moment, they spotted Hermione sitting on the floor, sobbing her eyes out. The four adults in the painting were unsuccessfully attempting to calm her. The two boys quickly, but quietly walked over to their friend. Harry knelt down in front of the crying young woman and wrapped his arms around her while Ron questioned the former Heads as to what was going on. The dark haired young man rocked himself and his female friend back and forth, giving her what only one other person, Ron, could giver her. Brotherly comfort. She was close enough to the two of them to be their sister, as they were close enough to her to be her brothers. 

"What happened," Ron inquired of the four. Harry heard one of them answer, though he wasn't sure whom. He simply gathered Hermione closer and turned so that he was sitting on the floor and she was in his lap. The distraught young woman wrapped her arms around his neck and cried harder.

"Mia, Mia, Mia," he whispered in her ear, "It's going to be okay. Madame Pomfrey knows what she's doing. He's going to be fine. Come on, don't cry. Shh, shh, shh. Mia, listen to me, all right," Harry put her back slightly so that he could look into her face. He wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked her straight in the eye. He smiled. "You know Draco's a fighter. You've known that for how many years? What, seven now? He'll be all right, whatever happened, he'll be all right. Madame Pomfrey will take care of him. Come on. Let me see that beautiful smile of yours. Mia, if you don't show me that smile, I'm going to tickle you until you do," Harry threatened. He grinned when the girl let loose a watery, somewhat choked-up chuckle. "That's it. No matter what happens, Mia, Ron and I will stand by you and support you. Whatever the future holds, you know you can count on us. Right, Ron?"

The redhead turned away from the painting slightly, saw his female friend's face, and excused himself from the wizards who were in the process of filling him in on the situation. He walked over to Harry and Hermione and knelt down next to them. Ron put one arm around the girl's shoulders and draped his other about his House Seeker's shoulders. "Doesn't make any difference what the future brings, we'll stick it out together," he told them. The three Gryffindor students rested their heads against one another's. "We'll pull through this, just as we've pulled through everything else that we've been through. Harry and I are gonna stick to you like a dragon to it's egg. We'll be here when you get results and one of us will be with you all through the school day." Hermione looked up at him sharply when he said that. "What? _Our_ first class is Divination, and _yours_ is Ancient Runes. You're allowed to blow off classes for a good reason, and Harry and I don't care if we get in trouble for ditching when a mate's got a problem. And this is most definitely a problem. We can get Lavender or Parvati to give us the notes and homework. Let's see. You have Ancient Runes with-,"

"Me."

The three Gryffindors turned at the interruption. Standing not six feet away from them, leaning against the wall, seemingly listening in on their conversation, was,

"Zabini," Harry acknowledged. The other boy took it as an invitation and walked over to them.

"Is Draco all right," he inquired. One look at Hermione's tear-stained face told him that something was seriously wrong. He knew her well enough to know that she didn't cry over petty things. "What happened? Professor Snape told me, haltingly, that Draco was possibly seriously hurt. You're the one who shares a common room with him," he said to Hermione, "which means you should know what's wrong." Blaise looked at her as though she were required to answer his question and was utterly horrified when the young woman promptly burst into tears.

"Nice going, Zabini. We had just gotten her to calm down and _you_ just-,"

"I know what I did, Weasley," he said without looking at the fuming redhead. His gaze was trained on the girl sobbing into Potter's robes. He glanced up at the 'Boy Who Lived' and saw understanding. Confused, he raised an eyebrow, causing the other boy to smile and shake his head. When Harry moved over, Blaise sat down next to him. "Hey," he said and put a hand on the Head Girl's knee, "I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm sorry, I'm just…worried about my friend. I haven't spoken to him since yesterday on the train. I was teasing him about being made Head Boy, you know, just friendly teasing. Anyway, he kinda freaked out. He got really mad at the whole lot of us, you know, Pansy, Crabbe, Goyal, and me. The others were just being mean, but I was just teasing him. In a friendly way, though. I didn't mean for it to come across as mean, I was just telling him, in a Slytherin-type way, that I was proud of him. He worked hard to get this position. He earned it. Not for the first time, he got a position that his father didn't try to buy him." The Slytherin boy sighed. "He said something over the summer while he was staying at my place about saying something to the three of you about…certain things. I don't know if he has yet or anything, so I'm not talking, but when he does, I _do_ need to speak to the three of you." He looked around at the three Gryffindor students and nodded his head once, as if to finalize it. "First, though, I need to speak with Draco. I really don't want to make you cry, Hermione, but I need to know what happened. Draco's my best mate, my only real friend. I-,"

"Zabini? I know what happened," Ron spoke up. He and Blaise locked eyes, then Blaise nodded and stood up. The two boys moved off a ways to talk, leaving Harry to, once again, calm his friend. They were alone, they thought, until,

"Mia."

***

"Do you remember what happened?"

Draco looked around at the MediWitch. His head was throbbing. Not that that surprised him, after all, he'd fallen down half a flight of stairs. "Yes, Madame Pomfrey. I was stupid. That's what happened. I was running around my room like a madman looking for my wand, remembered it was downstairs, and forgot to tie my shoes. Get the general idea?" he asked her with an amused, if pain-filled, half-smile gracing his face.

Madame Pomfrey's face cleared of confusion; she smiled at the young man lying on the bed in front of her. "I see. Well," she said while moving her wand over his body, "I hope you've at least learned something from all of this?"

Draco smirked, "Yeah. Don't forget where you put your wand." He outright grinned when she smiled more broadly. "What are you doing? I've been in here for a while now. What else is wrong with me? When can I see Hermione?" Draco fired the second and third questions at her before the woman could answer the previous ones. 

"You can see Hermione when I say you can. As far as I can tell, young man, nothing else is wrong with you. As to your first question, I was checking you over to make sure I hadn't missed anything. Now, see if you can sit up," the MediWitch told the blonde boy. She put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him, when he winced halfway up. "Where do you hurt? And don't even tell me it doesn't. I know the difference between a wince from stiffness and a wince of pain," Madame Pomfrey told the young man firmly.

Draco was unusually meek when he told her that his ribs had twinged when he'd sat up. At her nod, he knew she'd expected that. She waved her wand over his mid-section and the pain immediately ceased. "Can I go now?" Draco looked up at her beseechingly. 

"Oh, all right. Go on with you. But," the grandmotherly woman put a hand on his shoulder to keep him in place, "if you have any problems with that arm, you shouldn't mind you, but if you do, come see me immediately. Understood?" When he nodded, she allowed him to get up.

Draco waited until she'd left the enclosure, then he threw himself from the bed and practically jumped into his clothes. When he moved around to the outside of the curtain, he stopped short. Ron was talking to, not fighting with, Blaise, and Harry was trying to get Hermione to stop crying. The Head Boy smiled softly at the brotherly attention the dark haired boy was giving her. He stood and watched them for a moment, committing the tender moment to memory, then he stepped forward. "Mia," he called. The young woman and the green-eyed boy holding her looked up so fast, Draco thought they'd end up with whiplash. When she saw him, Draco saw her eyes lighted up.

"Draco!" The young woman's screech brought everyone's attention to her, then looking around for the Head Boy. Hermione, on her feet and out of Harry's arms in half a second, and into Draco's arms in the other half. 

Draco held her close to him as though he hadn't held her in a month. He put his face in her hair and breathed in her scent. Then, he swung her around in the air, laughing like an idiot.   
Harry looked over at Ron and Blaise, grinning. Ron looked amused and Blaise looked rather perplexed. Harry shook his head and glanced back at the laughing Slytherin boy. Shaking his head again, the Seeker walked over to the painting containing the four rather amused looking school founders. 

"That was…interesting," Salazar remarked, offering the Gryffindor boy an odd half-smile. At Harry's somewhat cautious nod, he smiled more fully. The four filled Harry, who was still a bit in the dark, in on what had happened in the Head common room. 

"Yikes. How in the world did he manage to fall down half a flight of stairs?" In Harry's mind, the whole incident made no sense whatsoever.

"Harry," Draco called. 

The 'Boy Who Lived' looked over at him.

"I stepped on my shoelace." When Harry, Ron and Blaise all doubled over laughing and the founders looked on amused, Draco looked down at the beautiful girl in his arms, bent his head and kissed her full on the mouth in front of them all.

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How'd you like that? Tell me what you think, okies?


	7. If we think things through

Disclaimer:  If by now you don't know that I don't own it, you aren't the readers/reviewers I know you are.

This is mostly just Snape's musings.  Sorry if you no do like that.

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The two Head students, as well as the Gryffindor and Slytherin Prefects and Harry, were excused from their morning classes that day, as they had already missed most of them.  They did, however, need to go to the two classes after lunch.  

"So, I guess we'll see you guys after lunch," Ron said to the two Slytherins.  Their small group from the hospital wing was standing outside the doors to the Great Hall, listening to the noise within.  

Harry looked at Hermione and Draco.  Neither looked ready to release the other anytime soon.  While he thought it was rather cute- they had only been parted for a couple hours, if that- he knew that most, if not all, of the other students in the school would not share his sentiment.

Blaise caught Harry's eye and motioned for him to catch hold of Ron and move off a little ways to give the Head Boy and Girl a bit of privacy.  The boy sighed while looking at his friend.  He and Hermione were in for a rough time of it, what with inter-house rivalry and outright hatred.  Blaise knew what the other Slytherins would think of Draco being with Hermione.  While he was none too sure of what the Gryffindor general reaction to the news would be, he _did_ know that Hermione's Housemates tended to be more open-minded than many of the other Houses.  

***

"Draco, what are we going to do?  I-I don't want to have a behind-the-scenes relationship.  Mind you, if that's what you want, I'll go along with-," the young woman was cut off by a voice she'd not heard since the previous June.

"Here, you lot," Professor Snape drawled, "I need to go over with you what we were meant to accomplish in class.  Meet in my classroom after you've eaten."  The man nearly turned to leave, but stopped when he processed the fact that Draco was holding Hermione in his arms.  When he realized the most likely reason for the small group's vacillation at going the final few feet and entering the Great Hall, he favored them with a small half-smile.  "Or, perhaps I should call down to the kitchens and have them send something up for us.  I have the feeling that this could take longer than I thought."  Leaving it at that, Severous turned and walked back the way he had come.

The mix of students looked at one another, then hurried after the Potions Master. 

***

After a meal of shared laughter in the Potions classroom, Draco and Hermione went to the back of the room in order to talk things out.  The others spoke quietly with each other about different topics ranging from the summer holidays to that year's Quidditch prospects.

"Honestly, though, Harry," Ron continued, "Arik and Skylar are both fairly decent flyers and Arik can generally put a Quaffle where he wants it.  I really think they should be encouraged to try out for the team.  They'd be decent players once they've been trained up a bit."

"That may be true, Ron," Blaise interjected, "but, they _are_ first year students.  And there is that whole no brooms at school first year rule.  Your cousins would have to wait until next year to try out for the team, anyway."

Ron looked at the other boy, startled, then slowly nodded.  "Yeah, I had forgotten about that.  Still and all, there must be some decent flyers in Gryffindor whom we haven't come across yet.  I mean, of everyone whom we have seen fly, all of the decent ones are terrible at doing anything else at the same time.  And if we can't find people to fill those three spots…"

"I know, Ron.  Tell you what…"

***

"Draco, what are we going to do?"

"The same thing other couples do, Mia.  We won't tell anyone, except a few trusted friends, but we won't try to keep it a secret, either.  We won't try to hide it from other people because that's how things get into the open faster than anything, especially in Slytherin.  And Gryffindor, now that I think of it.  Go ahead and tell Weaslette-,"

"Ginny."

"What?"

"Her name is Ginny, Draco."

"I…did not know that…heh…fine then, tell Ginny if you must because I have the feeling, for some odd reason, that she won't blab to Brown or Patil.  Jeez, those two are as bad as some of the Slytherins I can name…like a couple of fourth year girls who can inform every female, first through seventh years and teachers _including McGonagall and Trelawny_, of some obscure bit of gossip _without saying a word to anyone not in Slytherin._  That, now, is what I call gossip-talented."

Hermione was looking at him a bit wide eyed.  "That is…talent.  An extreme waste of talent, mind you, but talent all the same."

Draco smiled and pulled her against his chest in a heart-wrenchingly tender embrace.

***

Severous watched his students with concern and pride.  Their small group was in for a rough time of things if they intended to go on like this.  However, they would, if things _did_ continue like this, weather the storm of teenage rivalry and hatred better than their peers. He decided then and there that he would help them if he could.  They deserved that much.  Even Potter.  Potter…

The Potions Master sighed as his thoughts turned to the Potter boy.  He was different from his father.  He took after James in looks and that damned thirst for attention, but Lily in temperament and compassion.  The attention thing though…Was that Harry taking after James?  Or was it simpler than that?  Was it just a deep-seated need to prove himself to everyone?  He had been raised in an environment where he was ridiculed for his entire life and probably had few to no friends.  That was probably all it was, a need to prove that he was worthy of friends and having people like him.  Moreover, that more than likely explained his want to apply to the Aurory when he left Hogwarts.  People also expected him to do great things and, among teenagers, that meant showing off.  However, now that he forced himself to think about it, the Potter boy had never actually attempted the impossible.  He simply utilized his natural talents.  He was also a seventeen-year-old boy.  Seventeen-year-old boys tended to show off a bit and many did so more often than Harry did and to a greater degree.  He hadn't asked to be put on the Quidditch team as a first year, he hadn't asked to be illegally made a Hogwarts champion as a fourth year, and he certainly hadn't asked to become one of the most famous wizards as a baby.  Now that Severous really thought about the Potter boy's situation, he sympathized with him a bit, rather than criticizing him.  And then there's the Weasley family…

Severous didn't really have anything against the Weasleys.  Two of them had been Head Boy, one had been a damn fine Quidditch player(even if it was for Gryffindor), the twins had been much needed pranksters a couple years ago when everyone had needed a good laugh and Severous privately thought the two brilliant, Ron was shaping up to be a splendid Quidditch player himself as well as being a fine person and a loyal friend, and the youngest, Ginny, now she had spunk.  After being possessed by Riddle in her first year, she was a bit more cunning than her brothers, though that could just be because she was the only girl in the family.  She was also the most competent of her generation of her family so far when it came to Potions, which gave her major brownie points with him.  Yes, though he'd never told anyone, Ginny was by far one of his more favored students.  She had always been a bright child, and she had become an extremely bright young woman.  

Severous looked over at his students again.  They were beginning to get along better, this small group of Gryffindors and Slytherins.  It was a significant step in the right direction.  These students were the future of the magical world.  If he could do anything to aid them in making that world worth living in, Severous resolved to do it.  They deserved that and so much more…

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Te-he!!  There go you!!  Whatcha think?


	8. We can start anew

Disclaimer:  I shouldn't need to tell you that I don't own it, should I?  'Cuz you prob'ly wouldn't believe me anyway, would you?

Kinky Girl:  OMG!!!!!  Thank you sooooooo much for noticing that!!!  I can't believe I did that!!  ARGH!!!!!  ::beats head on computer desk::

More musings and we meet Tessa and the newest Weasley pair.  Funfunfun  hehe  Here we go…

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Blaise glanced over at the girl currently under discussion.  If somebody had told him three days ago that his best friend was going to end up with a Gryffindor muggle born he would have laughed so hard he'd have needed a calming charm placed on him.  She was certainly a character, though.  He focused again on the plan the two Gryffindor boys were hatching to get the Granger girl to try out for the Quidditch team.  The Slytherin still thought it was a shot in the dark, but the other team was grasping at straws.  

"Look, Ron.  We both know she's a good flyer, we've seen her go out through the window at night, and, because of all the practice with banishing charms she's done, we know she's got great aim.  I really think she'd make a decent Chaser. ((A/N: Let's just pretend, shall we? ^_^  )) I mean, you've seen her throw stuff magically, haven't you?  And Parvati told me once, when Hermione was packing her things at the end of third year, she was throwing things into her trunk from halfway across the room.  I'm pretty sure she could put a Quaffle through a goal post.  We just have to talk her into trying out.  Ginny would support us, too. She doesn't like being the only girl on the team.  Who else, though?"  The look on Harry's face turned pensive as he thought about his Housemates. 

"Er, Harry?  Ron?  What about the younger of the two Creevy brothers?  What's his name?"  Blaise looked at the two Quidditch players expectantly.

Ron shook his head.  "His name's Dennis.  He's not a very promising flyer, Blaise.  He has to concentrate rather hard at keeping his broom in the air.  No, he's not the best cho-,"

"Not a promising flyer??  Have you never seen the boy in the air at night!?  He's gotten special permission from Dumbledore to fly at night.  Ask Hermione.  I've seen them out flying together.  He's the one who taught her to fly.  That fourteen-year-old boy is probably one of the best flyers I've ever seen."

"Really…Interesting," Harry mused.  "The times that I've seen Dennis fly, he seems to be concentrating so hard on, seemingly, keeping his broom in the air.  I didn't think to put that concentration down to something else…"  Ron nodded in agreement.

***

Severus was startled out of his musings, as his students were out of their conversations, when there came a timid knock on the classroom door.  He waved his students off, telling them silently that he would take care of whatever it was.  The Potions Master strode over to the door and, putting on his "intimidating Potions' professor" persona, yanked it open.  Three students jumped away from the door and looked at him a bit nervously.  He sighed internally.  First years.  First year Gryffindors, no less.  He looked at them darkly.  "What," he snapped.  

One of the red heads gulped audibly, and the other's eyes widened a bit nervously.  The dark haired girl looked at him timidly then said, "Um, this is the Potions classroom, isn't it?  We're s'posed to have our first class in fifteen minutes and we wanted to get here early so that we could set all of our stuff up."  She looked up at him, though still nervous, somewhat questioningly.

Severus swore under his breath, scaring the three eleven year olds, and turned to look at the older students in his classroom.  He turned back to the first years and told them to wait in the hall until he told them otherwise.  Then he shut the door and walked over to Draco and Hermione.  After telling them he needed to talk to them as a group he went over to where the other three boys were sitting, the Head students trailing after him.  "I have a class in fifteen minutes and three first year Gryffindors in the hall.  The lot of you are welcome to stay in my office until your free period is over, or you can go somewhere else.  But, I need my classroom for the purpose it normally serves."

Hermione giggled and the boys grinned.  Professor Snape's good moods and jokes were few and far between and he rarely gifted them to students, let alone Gryffindors.  After agreeing to remain in Draco and Hermione's common room, the seventh years bade their teacher good day and left the room to be bombarded by Ron's cousins and Tessa.

"What were you doing in there, Ron?"  

"Was he telling you off for something?"  

"Do you have detention for something?"

"What did he want you for this morning at breakfast?"

When Hermione noticed how wistfully Tessa watched the interaction between the Weasley cousins, she disentangled herself from Draco and moved over to the younger witch.  "Hi," Hermione said to the girl.  Tessa looked up at her wonderingly, as though she hadn't been addressed by very many older students.  "Your name is Tessa Umbridge, isn't it?"  The young brunette nodded almost shyly.  "Mine's Hermione Granger.  I'm Head Girl this year, so if you need anything, just ask, ok?  The first few weeks of the year are often the most difficult, so if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask me or Draco, all right?"

"O-Okay.  Um…" the girl faltered to a stop.

"What is it, Tessa," Hermione asked.  She put a hand under Tessa's chin to make the younger girl look into her face.

"Would you know- That is...Could you tell me," the small girl stuttered, eyes wide when Draco joined them and put his arms around Hermione, "why none of the older kids-everyone from third year on up, really-seem to like me?  I-I mean nobody's been outright cruel to me, but they just…I don't know…I get treated a lot different from the other first years…Why?"

Draco smiled at the young Gryffindor.  "They ignore you, don't they?  Give you the cold shoulder?"  The child nodded.

"Yeah…I don't get it….Why do they do that?  What did I do?"

Draco moved around Hermione and knelt before the younger witch, to everyone's surprise.  Turning the young girl to face him, the Head Boy spoke to her evenly and gently.  "Tessa.  Are you related in any way to a woman called Dolores Umbridge?"  Tessa nodded.

"Yeah, she's my great aunt."

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OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!  Sorry about the update delay thing…I got real busy wif school and work…I'm soooooooooooo sorry!!!  Please don't hate me!!


	9. If we forge the way

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the books, but you already knew that, didn't you?

Let's see what happens…

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Draco smiled at the girl. "That's why. Two years ago, she was a teacher here. Nobody but Filch liked her much. The Ministry, not the Headmaster, employed her here. Her title was 'Chief Inquisitor' or some such nonsense. The others will come around, Tessa," he said as he stood up. "You'll see. Just be the sweet girl it's plain you are, ok?"

Tessa nodded. She looked at the group of teenagers around her and smiled. '_I can do this. I really think I can._' She looked at the two eleven year old Weasleys and smiled shyly at them. They grinned back at her.

When the other first years started arriving, Draco, Hermione, and the other boys told the three Gryffindors that they'd see them later and went up to the Head Students' common room. Hermione stretched and collapsed onto the couch with a sigh. Harry grinned, snuck over and got the one spot on her entire body, halfway up the front of her right calf, which was insanely ticklish. Draco, Ron, and Blaise looked on as the giggling girl tried without avail to escape her tormentor. She finally managed to get to her feet and ran straight toward the observing boys. Hermione half hid behind her tall, red haired friend while he valiantly protected her from Harry. Draco and Blaise laughed out loud at the three Gryffindors' antics.

When everyone had calmed down somewhat, they all sat near the fire, Hermione in Draco's lap leaning back against his chest. She was nearly asleep when Ron spoke up. "Er, Hermione? What would you say if I asked you to try out for the Quidditch team? I know you're not particularly fond of the game, but you never know, right? Once you start playing you may find that you love it." He looked at her halfway to pleading.

The girl raised an eyebrow, "I thought it was your belief that I can't fly worth beans, Ronald. What happened to that theory? Why would you want a terrible flyer on the team? Are you so desperate that once again you've waited until the last minute to realize that I'm good for more than advise for your homework and tutoring? Honestly, d'you think that I'm always going to be here for you to ask to do something when you can't get someone else? What happens after we graduate? Will I always be there to bail you out of something you've left to the last second? No, I won't. Because I'll have a job, just as you will, and I'll have deadlines of my own to meet. What then, hm? Harry?"

The two boys went red. Harry stammered for a moment before falling silent again. Hermione gave a decidedly unladylike snort and the two Slytherins snickered. "I'll consider it, though," the girl said, startling her housemates. Her two friends fell on her with hugs in gratitude. "Hermione, you're the best!" Harry exclaimed. Draco, who was leaning back on his hands to give the other two boys room, and Blaise laughed at the two Gryffindors. "Harry, Ron? Who else are you going to ask to try out? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you know of very many decent flyers in Gryffindor house. Right or wrong?"

"Right," Harry said, "so unless you've got an idea, the only other person we can think of is, thanks to Blaise, Dennis Creevy." Hermione grinned mischievously. "Don't worry, Harry. I'll take care of it," the brunette told him. The dark haired boy looked at her questioningly, '_She'll take care of it? What's that mean?_' The girl yelped when her backrest suddenly moved.

Draco grinned and pulled her down on his chest when he lay back on the rug. She rolled over so that they were lying stomach to stomach and looked down at him. When she merely raised a brow at him, he grinned, pulled her down and kissed her full on the mouth. She pulled back after a moment, slightly red and laid her cheek on his chest and closed her eyes. Draco smiled softly, rubbing her back with one hand.

The two were asleep within moments and, by unspoken consent, the other three moved to the other side of the room. "So… when did this start," Blaise asked the other two. Ron rolled his eyes in annoyance and Harry grinned. "Last night," the red head told the other boy, "or yesterday evening, rather. Draco wanted to talk to us about something and fell asleep in one of the armchairs. When we got here, Hermione smiled and shushed us, walked over and woke him up all nice and quiet like. Weird, ne?"

"I think something may have happened between them on the train ride here, Ron," Harry remarked. "Why else would they be all buddy-buddy-ish at supper last night? She did say that he'd wanted talk to her then but it evidently wasn't safe. Remember? He told her that someone might be listening?" The green-eyed boy looked speculatively at his slumbering friends. "Personally, I don't think this is a bad development. I mean, she won't let him get up on his high-horse, sorry muggle phrase, it means too arrogant, and he'll keep her from going into teacher mode with us as much. She'll get a study partner who understands her intellectual language and he'll get the same. Yes, I think this is a very good thing. For them as well as for us," he added as an afterthought.

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hehe…um…yeah…I'm still here, and I didn't forget about this one, I promise!! So…here you go!! Drop me a line!


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